1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to automotive vehicle body structure, and more particularly to the construction of automotive vehicle pillars to accommodate energy absorption.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the design of modern automotive vehicles, it is has been a goal to provide body structures which manage the absorption of energy in response to the imposition of frontal loads. More recent design activity in the vehicle body arts has been directed to the management of energy imposed on the vehicle occupant compartment in response to loads imposed on the sides of the vehicle and to loading imposed within the vehicle occupant compartment. While the cushioning of surfaces facing the vehicle occupant compartment has long been practiced in the automotive industry, the basic, usually metal, structure of the body itself has been accommodated rather than made an integral part of the energy management design, although early designs, such as that exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,730 to Welch, indicate the general principle of cushioning such structure is known. This cushioning, however, is disadvantageously limited to localized positions on the pillar, which may not provide optimal energy management in all applications.
More recently commonly assigned U.S. Ser. No. 08/225,689 disclosed a more comprehensive cushioning approach in certain pillar embodiments in which cushioning media are carried within the pillar. Accommodating such structure within a pillar is not, in all cases, possible or desirable.